Meet Michelle Bartolo - Yoga Teacher

Meet Michelle Bartolo / Free online yoga class below bio

Welcome to my world.

I have been practicing yoga for 23 years and teaching classes, workshops & retreats for 17 years.

I started guiding students into teachers 6 years ago

I love yoga

I love what it has taught me, what it has shown me and the people it has united me with.

I believe in the power of yoga for transformation.

What is KriyaAsana Yoga?

KriyaAsana Yoga is a combination of my two favourite practices, Vinyasa & Kundalini.

Vinyasa is a fluid practice linking one pose to the next with ease, grace & softness. Kundalini is a practice that unblocks any blocked energy in the way of emotions, traumas, grief etc. to be sure we are open and free.

The Benefits of Combining these practices:

  • asana/vinyasa practice gets our energy flowing, balances our breath and creates heat in the body, stability in the mind and connection to our spirit
  • asana/vinyasa opens the first layer in that leads to our nervous system
  • the kriyas work very closely to our nervous system & show us where our blockages are
  • kriyas are often done for longer amounts of time than the asana is held. On average the kriyas are performed from 1 – 11 minutes, they are a meditation in action.
Michelle Bartolo doing Yoga

In my personal practice of Vinyasa I noticed the physical benefits more than the spiritual benefits. Kundalini brought in the spiritual aspect of the practice and challenged my mind in a different way by sticking to the kriya for a certain amount of time.

Michelle Bartolo Yoga Teacher

What is a kriya? – 3HO

In Kundalini Yoga, a kriya is a specific sequence of physical actions that work toward a particular outcome. Kriya practice initiates a sequence of physical and mental changes that affect the body, mind, and spirit. There are kriyas to support the liver, balance the glandular system, stimulate the pituitary, release grief, improve our digestion and so much more. Each kriya has a different impact, but they work on all levels of your being at once.

Kriya is a Sanskrit word meaning complete action, deed, or effort. The root, kri, means to do or create. Within the context of Kundalini Yoga, kriya refers to a single or specific set of yogic exercises designed to create a predictable outcome in consciousness.

The instructions for any given kriya will include the sequence of postures and, if applicable, the suggested time in each exercise, eye focus, and accompanying breath or sound. Kriyas make up the body of most Kundalini Yoga practice. These ‘kriya sets’ work wonders on releasing our blocked energy and showing us where we are ‘stuck’. If a kriya is challenging for us then this is the one that we need to unblock whatever is making it difficult.

Wisdom of Practice

The wisdom of Kundalini Yoga is the angles of the asanas, fuelled by the breath, the repetition of mantra, and concentrated by the eye focus and body locks, which change us at the core of our being. This is empowering for the practitioner, it creates potential for real and immediate change.

The magic of Vinyasa is the wave like motion we dance through from asana to asana with ease, grace and effort. Where each pose blends into the next not knowing where we are starting from or where we stop. As energy moves in waves we create energy moving the same way.

The end goal, beyond the benefits of physical exercise, is to lubricate the joints, open the energy channels, cleanse the blood, and prepare the mind and body for meditation.

We are always free to modify postures as needed, understanding that our bodies, abilities, and circumstances are unique. We work to our edge, not beyond it. We nuture ourselves and practice presence through each practice. We hear the voice of our mind, is it loving? Is it kind? Is it the kind of coach I want? Can I allow my mind and heart to work for my greater good recognising that they are on the same team?

Working with KriyaAsana 

Sometimes we come across a kriya and/or asana that moves us deeply. A kriya might move us to tears; it might create a profound sense of joy; it could just challenge us physically in a way that inspires us to keep working with it. An asana may also release an energy block that could free a stored emotion or memory that you haven’t thought about in years. Our mission is remove what we’ve stored, take our ‘garbage’ so we can live a life full of freedom, joy, peace & love.

Over the years I have been amazed of what I’ve seen released from peoples bodies in the way of stored emotions. I have witnessed students change their lives around after consistent practice for the better. We are miracles, each and every one of us and these practices will bring you close to the miracle that you are. You will then become aware of the miracle everyone is. We are full of power, strength, energy & wisdom. It’s all just waiting to be ignited.

How is a KriyaAsana Class structured?

Classes are typically 75 mins in length.

The first 15 mins of class we ground in a seated position & connect to our breath, bodies & minds. Rooting ourselves into the earth as if we are part of it. Growing from there lengthening our spines as our crowns reach the sky. We feel ALL of ourselves here. We then tune in with the Adi Mantra which is the Kundalini chant, Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo (bowing to the creative consciousness within). By chanting at the beginning we relax our vagus nerve. The longest nerve in the body.

Once we’ve created that deep internal connection & peace we begin a selected pranayama (breath) exercise to be sure our breathing is balanced. When our breath is balanced our mind is balanced.

So the breath, so the mind.

A gentle warmup brings us into fluid spinal movements generating energy into each chakra centre (energy centres), we open our hips to be sure our apana vayu (responsible for excreting what we no longer need) is able to release any sluggishness or feelings of being stuck & bring balance into our physical bodies.

Asana practices (which most are more familiar with) begin to flow as we step up our efforts to creat balance, stability & strength. We work with a theme each month, eg. hips for grounding, backbends to open our heart, balance poses for inner balance etc. Our asana practice is approx 20 mins long.

We pause & feel how the asana practice feels in our body, mind & spirit. We meditate on our roots and sense our energy settle before moving on.

Then into the Kriya set we begin. A prescription to freedom. A different Kriya set is chosen each month in the public drop in & online classes and usually last 30 – 40 minutes.

How can I find KriyaAsana offerings?

All offerings can be found on my website, through FB or IG under Michelle Bartolo Yoga. If you have a particular practice in mind we can always work together to create your vision/version.

KriyaAsana offerings are available both live in class and live online.

Classes are held on a weekly drop in basis, the classes are 75 mins long & booking is essential.

Private classes in person or live online are tailored to your individual needs and are sold in blocks of 10 classes that run for 75 mins.

40 Day Sadhanas are offered 3 times/year. A Sadhana is a morning practice where we tune IN. We meet every morning online for 30 minutes over 40 days. We create a strong anchor of commitment with some simple practices that connect us within at the beginning of each day supported by a global community.

200 hr RYT KriyaAsana Teacher Trainings are offered twice/year publicly. The training runs for 6 weeks HYBRID, which we means we do 3 weeks together in community practicing the practical section LIVE in Gozo and the remaining 3 weeks are done LIVE Online covering the theory portion of the course.

These teacher trainings are also offered privately & the training is solely designed for you. This can be offered live in person or live online or HYBRID when the timing suits you best.

KriyaAsana Week Yoga Retreats

If you’re in need to step out of your life for a holiday that gives more than it takes from you then a retreat is the way forward. The retreats run from Saturday to Saturday and are held on Gozo.

Each retreat is held in a lovely farmhouse which we stay in together. We do yoga together every morning and evening and the time in between is for you to do what you wish. Breakfast is included every morning and we do a few group activities too if all are inspired to do so. It’s time to step in and relax, rese. Experience energy and inspiration and take that home with you.

Taking action is the best way to notice if these practices are for you. Take a class, join a retreat or workshop and test the waters.

To find, we must seek

SatNamNamaste

Michelle x